Rating: 
Summary: Sharing Is Good, But What Should Be Shared?
Review:
One of the primary benefits of a human nervous system is to allow the senses and the mind to be in close contact. This is most helpful to alerting us to opportunities and dangers so we respond more quickly.
When the nervous sytem is working well, this is great. Disease can cause these signals to be scrambled, and the individual fares poorly.
In this book, Mr. Gates argues persuasively for having a digital counterpart to the human nervous system. What he fails to focus on enough is how to identify what data to capture, how to turn it into knowledge, and how to turn knowledge into timely action.
For those subjects, you'll have to read Bill Jensen's book on Simplicity. If you only have time to read one or the other, I suggest Simplicity over Business @ the Speed of Thought.
The wired world easily overwhelms. Timely e-mails can turn into hundreds of e-mails. Data can turn into overwhelming quantities of confusion. Without the skills and tools to do data mining, the digital nervous sytem may just make things worse. Think about it.
A reason for being concerned about this point is the history of Microsoft itself, usually having to buy or copy innovations by others to advance its technology . . . usually arriving after targeted dates with software that crashes all the time . . . usually arriving with software that is so filled with unecessary features that it runs more slowly than typewriters did in the predigital age.
My sense from a recent site visit to Dell Computer is that Dell is far ahead of Microsoft in communicating and acting on information. I suggest you read Direct from Dell instead of this book if you only have time to read two books.
From a man who is supposed to be a great visionary of technology, I was quite disappointed in this book. I only saw a flawed vision that was more backward looking than forward looking.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading!
Review: As IT professional I found little surprises in this book about technology and the author visions how it will further influence (change) our daily lives. Why? Because the issue Mr. Gates is writing about with such passion is really an old story nowadays. Let me explain. We have an "old" IT infrastructure in some places that is not good enough to support companies in a new economy, fortunately most of the corporate world also possess "new" PC and PC based devices connected to the Internet that are (according to Mr. Gates) fully capable and optimal way of supporting business in the 21st century. Hmm...I know at least couple of people that will strongly disagree with that (Larry and Scott where are you :-). The result is that corporate management is desperately looking for clues how to make the best use of this "new" technology to succeed in a new economy. This book will help you get most of the answers, but (as usually) don't buy everything you read! Don't get me wrong, I'm not negative about the book, in fact I learned a lot from Mr. Gates as businessperson. With his enthusiastic writing style, he kept me constantly rethinking from chapter to chapter about existing solutions in my company from business perspective and NOT from IT as usually! Another good reason to read this book are real world examples from different companies, including Microsoft Corporation itself, on how you can gain business advantage with proper use of digital tools. Last but not least, if you think that you know Mr. Gates and his company well then think again or better yet, read this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Insightful, entertaining......
Review: At first look, it might seem to be just an extended advert for Microsoft. But no, there is more to this book. It is insightful, and entertaining (thats an incongruity!!). Mr. Gates has peppered it with countless examples of companies, big and small, who could use, or are already using the concept of a Digital Central Nervous System (DCNS) to manage the flow of information, and as a logocal extension to it, managing the flow of wealth to ones advantage. This book is not just about big business getting bigger, but also about how simple techniques of good information flow management within even the smallest of establishments, can make contented customers keep coming back to you again and again for more business. Mr. Gates has used many simple real life analogies to drive the proverbial nail down the head about the importance of an integrated approach to managing the flow of information between the various constituents of an organization (size does not matter in this case), as also management of information flowing into and outside of it. Just the case in point is the astounding results I have myself observed unfold at Dell Corporation in Braker Lane!!
Rating:
Summary: Boon or Bane?
Review: Bill Gates, the whizkid, IT Czar, has come out with a thought provoking, very educative, and very informative book that can easily be understood easily by everyone. Few chapters are bit technical, but one can make broad sense out of these chapters too. Reading the book has been a profound and very satisfying and rich experience for me. Gates advocates complete digitalization of all aspects of life, and expounds a theory of Digital Nervous System, which envisages paperless offices, on-line, real-time transactions in a totally networked environment in a web based work style. Gates talks about web-lifestyle, knowledge management, empowerment down to the last person in line, pooling and sharing of information on line which then becomes the bank of knowledge for everyone to access. He gives numerous examples of the applied digitalization in various Corporations, Government organisations, Schools & Educational institutions, US Armed forces etc. that have reaped enormous benefits of the same. The entire concept, as well as the benefits thereof have been explained in detail, which make excellent sense and are very convincing. I got great insights into the scope and extent of improvements that the networked environment and total computerisation can bring about, especially in a country like India where there is so much to be done! We haven't even started yet. I am happy that, irrespective of the current downtrend, my kids, who are into computers, will never be unemployed! Master salesman that Bill Gates is, he doesn't let any opportunity go by without extolling the virtues of Microsoft and it's various products, makes a sales pitch here too, and subtly hints that ultimately the entire world should operate on a Windows platform. All this is fine, but I have a few scary scenarios, which frighten me, every time I read a book like this; 1. Given the fact that hackers are penetrating most secured sites and databases, Banks are being defrauded, passwords and PIN codes are stolen, dangerous viruses are around which manage to jump all high security firewalls.... there is an unknown, invisible enemy lurking around out there somewhere, in such a situations, how can we surrender all our data, info, knowledge, records and secrets to a digital warehouse which doesn't have any physical protections, locks or impenetrable barriers of security and safety?
2. A virus, malfunction, or any such thing can wipe out the entire record....how and wherefrom do we retrieve and recreate the record? And at what cost?
3. The cookies, embedded software, firmware,middleware, or even parts of hardware can make any PC, any Server accessible to any one person, agency or an institution like Intel, MS, or CIA, and they will have the power to intrude and disable or self destruct your machine...then what? One electronic signal can bring an entire country , any selected institution like a Bank to a grinding halt...then what? Maybe I have read too many conspiracy theories of Ludlum, but then the possibilities exist!
4. A strong electromagnetic wave, radiation, grid failure etc, can cause a total, breakdown...there is no parallel system to keep things going, the old working style in the name of "legacy" has long back been disbanded, then what? We see this chaotic scenario for IA ticketing everytime the Indian Airlines system crashes.
5. Any other software problem like the Y2k Bug, can once again create a havoc..then what?
6. Complete digitalization and digital nervous system on a national scale, obviously will need a battery of experts and dedicated specialist who alone can keep the thing going..If they go on strike? We have seen Air traffic controllers, Doctors, Postal workers, Teachers, Petrol Bunks, and Chemists going on strike and holding the society to ransom, but can we afford the digital experts bringing the complete country to a dead halt? In an organisation where I was working, we had gone completely digital "officially",( but privately we maintained physical paper records), I have practically experienced the chaos everytime the centralised mail server crashed, many hard discs got wiped out in my department...it was a total mess! No records...and auditors were breathing down our necks! The private records saved us. Thereafter we decided that we may have a paperless office, but there will be a parallel office for paper! We still have a long way to go to make things fool proof, absolutely trustworthy and reliable, safe and secure...till that happens I don't think we can create a paperless World! Till that time Bill Gates you have to wait atta boy!
Rating:
Summary: Making it simple
Review: Discussing the digital flow of information in a company would sound to some like a horrible book to read. Not so, with this book. Gates finds simply analogies to explain why the flow of communication is so important and how managing electronic information can be made not only efficient, but simple. His enthusiasm comes through clearly as he reveals not only his twelve steps to manage digital information, but also the practical applications of flow management. I found this book easy to understand and very helpful at pointing out ways to better manage my own email and the ways I communicate information to committees and employees.
Rating: 
Summary: Information for Business Success
Review: Excellent book on using the Information Technology within your company to succeed. This book is not about trends of Information Technology industry but about trends of IT usage. The basics of handling information and how the digital nervous system help out modern businesses achieve maximum out of their means are the key themes explained with convincing precision.
This is a very useful book for all those who want to know how Information Technology usage can change the businesses and how the business intelligence can be created through digital nervous system to get the edge over competitors.
Rating:
Summary: Obtain from the bad news
Review: First of all, I would like to get to the point about this book. Keep the bad news in your mind and act what to solve. That's my priority to mention you. He also added that ignorance of the bad news is like sleeping with clock off. In process, we react against customer's complain what they are asking for better, qualified service. Their requirements provide us to analize their trend and tact for imporving the exisiting products (services) or new launching. These processing continue to the end. More activated business process such like that leads more benefit and income to the company. Let me think about it. How can we reach our target without customer. We learn and study through their concern, complaining and chat. I regret that some company was rather new technology-dominated than customer-dominated. Another important point of view is various application of digital nerve system in the special field. For example, the optimistic effeciency of the medical system, governmental, army and distance learning system with web-oriented solution is very magnificent. I am sure that this large efficiency of digitla nerve network will be very extended to any other field in a very short time, too. Finally, I strongly suggest you that we must take into action to apply his digital method more advanced company outcome and take time to be successful performance.
Rating:
Summary: Secrets for success of any company
Review: First published in 2000 this book provides valuable insight for corporations looking to leverage computers to improve their business. Although I suspect it will seem dated by 2005. The book provides an insight into what Bill Gates is seeing already and expecting in the near future. The book is something of a sales/technology pitch but few can afford to ignore the plans of Microsoft. I liked his view that, for example, telesales personal should use the same user-interface as the on-line customer -- to reduce intial cost, maintenance and inconsistency [seems obvious but it still tends to be the exception rather than the norm]. I listened to the unabridged audio tape version of this book while driving into work over a period of weeks. I found it pretty interesting and the audio format allowed me to get through it at a reasonable pace without any difficulty. I think I would have found it a little dry to read (and I read a lot of dry technical material!).
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading for anybody involved in corporate IT
Review: First published in 2000 this book provides valuable insight for corporations looking to leverage computers to improve their business. Although I suspect it will seem dated by 2005. The book provides an insight into what Bill Gates is seeing already and expecting in the near future. The book is something of a sales/technology pitch but few can afford to ignore the plans of Microsoft. I liked his view that, for example, telesales personal should use the same user-interface as the on-line customer -- to reduce intial cost, maintenance and inconsistency [seems obvious but it still tends to be the exception rather than the norm]. I listened to the unabridged audio tape version of this book while driving into work over a period of weeks. I found it pretty interesting and the audio format allowed me to get through it at a reasonable pace without any difficulty. I think I would have found it a little dry to read (and I read a lot of dry technical material!).
Rating:
Summary: Too many examples
Review: How can IT improve your business? That's the question that Bill Gates tries to answer in this book, by describing plenty of successful technology implementation stories.
If you are a CIO the book you'll find the book a little naive, but if you're an IT enthusiast you will probably like it.
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